Separation, by distillation, of miscible liquids



Aug. 26', 1930; 'r. E. PERKS 1,774,210

SEPARATION BY DISTILLATION, OF NISCIBLE LIQUII JS Filed Nov.3, 192'! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 pwenrara T. E. PERKS Aug, 26, 1930. 1,774,210

SEPARATION, BY DISTILLATION,OF MISCIBLE LIQUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 3, 1927 7 err 10 said process.

Patented Aug. .26, 1930 i THOMAS nnennrnn xs; or-irucxtann, NEW Z A ND- v sEnAnATIou, BY msjmmgmoa, or 'MIs'orBLri mourns Applicationfiled November 3, 1927, Serial No. esas saa d in New z andap a a 19 )This invention has reference to a process whereby materials composed of mixtures of liquids having difierent boiling points,'forwhich vaporize at different degrees of tem- 1 5 peratu're, may betreated to" separate and-recover the difierent'liquids, or to separatefrom the original mixture fractions offdesired boiling range. 7 It also has reference to aspecial form of apparatus-for use in carrying out the The inventlon has particular application to the treatment of petroleum oils or mixtures of oils for the purpose of separating the com-- ponent oils of different grades or specific '15 gravities, and may also be used w vith ibeneficial effect in the treatment of pet'roleum oils;

containing foreign mattersfor the separation and purification of the valuable constituents thereof. f

The saidprocessconsists in the submission of the material toa progressive heating action whileit is causedto'fiow in a continuous passageand to the separate collection, at dif ferentpoints in such flow,"of the vapours pro .25 duced by thefboiling of the portions ofsuch materialfat' such diiferent points and :in the subsequent condensation of such vapours.

' Ini'giving effect to"such-pro'cess the material .to be separated intoappropriate liquid fractions of different boiling points or ranges of boilingpoints is caused to flow in a-continuous stream throughan apparatus wherein the temperature of suchmixture is pro gressively raised .with theTobject of bringing 7 .flowing of theliquid in a contiiluous course 85 to their boilingpoints the various components of the mixture at appropriate parts of the apparatus. The vapours so formed are trappedinsuitable vapour zones and in these zones are condensedand led asliquids to their .more. simply by suitable arrangement of 'col lecti'ng trays at such position in the zones as 5 to ensure the return: either to" the liquid stream for reheating or ,toiprevious collecting-trays. of such-condensed vapoursv as may moreproperly belongto otherzones;

0 essthat the liquid to be separated into its de- -a This takingof vapours directly another as several containers. Provision may be made in.v such zon'esforadditional purification either vby the usualscrubbing, 1. e. reflux flow, or

sired fractions should flow "continuously in a channel havinga free vapour space aboveit and that the progressive heating should take place during as passage along this' channel.

" Since'thevapours passdirectl-yand freely i into the zones appropriate to themand are thus separated without the necessity of emmeans of a liquid head their free passagey thereis'no'back pressure'and the process is therefore particularly suited'to vacuum idistil-1 .151011.

zone required means-a minimum ofjheat re;

'ploying reflux'flow-or otherwise opposing by .65 F

quired tor thework as there is no back pressure caused by one fraction having to drive is the case in standard fractionating toWersL 1 v l- Further the principles aboveensure that cracking of anoil is reduced to a minimum" "as? Ethe vapours are immediately removed fro'mthe liquid and cannotfall backon=that liquid at *apoi'n't where-theliqui'd is at' a higher :temperature than that at which the particular fraction boils,

, The saidipr'ocess maybe carried out in any suitable form of apparatus providing for the beneath a series of separate vapour colle'ctlnggzones, each of which'has its condensing means combined therewith and; also has pro }v1s1 onfor the collectlon and dra ning away of the condensed vapour. v

7 Apparatus of suitable design is shown in the accompanying drawlngs, ln-which I Figure 4; is a cross sectionalxelevation I Figure 1 is a perspective sketch of one form ,of apparatus.v N i Figure 2 1s a sectional planoftheupper, or 90 w vapour zone, portion of such apparatus. 1 f

{Figure 3 is a plan of the lower or liquid t containing, portion of the apparatus; .i j v taken on the I zig-zag fashion across it from one end to the other so that a continuous course is thus provided. An inlet piped?) leads into one end of this passage and an outlet 14 leads away from its other end. I

Arranged beneath the bottom of this chamber are a number of heating elements, asthe gas burners 15, which are directed to heat the liquid passing along the course12 and to progressively raise it in temperature as it passes from-oneend to the other.

. Fixed above the open top of the chamber 10'is an upper chamber 16 which is enclosed on its sides, ends andtop and fully open at its bottom to the lower chamber 10. This chamber 16 along theinside of each side, is

formed with an elevated channel and each channel is divided by the vertical plates 18 extending to the top of the chamber, into a number of separate collecting trays 17, with those on one side arranged respectively opposite to those on the other. The central part of the space enclosed by the chamber is. divid'ed by the transversely extending and vertically disposed plates 19 into a number of separate divisions which form the vapour collecting zones 20. I These plates 19 are dis:

posed .to extend coincidentally with the plates 18 .and rest upon the lower .chamber 10 and extend to the top of the chamber 16 in order thusthat each zone 20 is quite separate from the others and has its two collecting'trays l7. V

The vapour thus given off from the liquid passing along the course 12, while travelling beneath each zone, is caught within such zone and by cooling and condensation collects within the trays 17 of that zone and is drawn off therefrom. This, is done preferably through an outlet 21 leading from one tray, the tray on the other side draining through -the pipe 22 intothe first mentioned tray.

The cooling of the vapours is effected by makingthe sidewalls of the chamber 16 with jaoket spaces 23 and by leading a supply of cooling medium (as cold water) through these spaces, such medium being led in, through the inlet" 2 L and carried away through theoutlet 25.

The respective outlets 21' are led to' the desired receptacles and such receptacles are preferably, connected .with air exhaustion means so that they are in vacuum, orpartial -.vacuum, and. thereby ensure of the rapid Withdrawal of the condensations from the respective zones. r I F x The number of zones Wlll be determined by the number of grades into which it is de- 1 sired to separate the material being treated and such division is effectually obtained by the proper controlling of the heating means to heat such material to the necessary stage to provide for the Vapourization of the different constituents as the material travels beneath the said zones.

The material is caused to travel through the passage 12 by gravitation or other force,

' the unvapourized portion and sludge or foreign matters being drawn off through the outlet 14 into a receptacle which also may be under vacuum conditions.

The apparatus shown in Figures and 6 is built andworks upon the same lines. In this case however, the apparatus is generally of cylindrical or circular form, and the lower chamber has its course 12 made to extend in a spiral guided by partitions 11 from the outer edge into the centre. The outlet 14 then opens downward from such center and the inlet is indicated by pipe 13. The heaters (not shown) for this apparatus are disposed to heat the material progressively as it travels to the said centre.

The upper chamber 16 is divided into the required number of separate zones by means of the concentrically arranged cylinders 26 which by being arranged abovev the passage 12 provide the separate vapour collecting spaces.

Aniore effective separation of the zones with respect to the liquid course may be obtained by forming the latter also of. concentric rings instead of the spiral. In this case each circular space is blocked at about a full circumferential travel from the inlet and then opens into the next inner space to cause the continuous and in effect, spiral course.

The collecting tray 17 for each zone is arranged to extend around the outer edge thereof by being attached to the appropriate cylinder at an approved elevation in the zone, the vapour passing upward into the top of the zone around the inner edge of the tray. A deflecting plate 27 is provided over the said vapour passage to prevent the condensed liquid dripping back into the bottom chamber by causing such to be deflected into the tray.

In this case the cooling is effected by means of a circulating pipe system 28 arranged around the outer wall of each zone and through which the desired cooling medium is passed.

Each tray 17 is provided with a drain pipe '21 leading away therefrom and which may be under vacuum action, as in the'previous case. Or, if desired, the vacuum conditions within the apparatus may be obtained by providing a space 29 within the top'of the chamber 16, from which a pipe 30 leads away to exhaustion apparatus. i V

I claim An apparatus for the separation of miscible liquids, comprising a primary receptacle with open top partitions in said receptaele providing a zig-zag passage therethrough, an'inlet pipe opening into one end of said passage and an'ontlet pipe opening at the oppositeend ofthe passage, means for heating saidreceptacle; a second receptacle with open bottom adapted to register with said open top, suitable partitionsdividing said second receptacle into side channels and central vapor Collecting zones, the partitions of said zones registering with the partitions s of said passage, a collecting tray in each of said channels for the respective zones, means for passing a cooling'niedinm outwardly and alongside of said channels and a pipe for draining off the condensate collected in each of said trays.

In testimony whereof, I afiixlny signature. I I

\ THOMAS EDGAR PERKS. 

